Pipeline in offshore hydrocarbon production is installed on the seabed, often extending great distances. Hydrocarbon fluids carried by such pipelines can occur over a wide range of temperatures, e.g., between about 4° C. and about 200° C. Pipeline carrying such hydrocarbon fluids can experience thermal gradients across the pipeline during multiple production shut down and start up cycles resulting in expansion, contraction, and thermal cycling of the pipeline or conduit. This can result in pipeline buckling and movement, also referred to as “walking,” which may induce overstrain and fatigue failures along the length of the pipeline at locations which are relatively vulnerable and prone to these failure mechanisms. Walking is a very costly problem, as the junction of the pipeline with elements of the production facility infrastructure, such as for example, the pipeline end termination (PLET) or other subsea equipment, can be overstressed, resulting in damage and even parting of the pipeline from the equipment. Such incidents often require that hydrocarbon production be shut down so that the pipeline system can be repaired. In order to prevent walking, expensive anchoring mitigation using large suction or driven piles and the like is often employed to hold the pipeline in place.
It would be desirable to have an economical solution to the aforementioned problems which would reduce the incidence of pipeline walking and buckling, and thus reduce the need for expensive pipeline anchoring or other mitigation solutions.